Fortinet offers much-needed comprehensive cyber security solutions

10:01 | 04/09/2018

The Fourth Industrial Revolution brings new operational risks for connected smart manufacturers and digital supply networks. Malicious cyber activity targeting the nation’s critical infrastructure is particularly worrisome as the interruption of essential services can have devastating effects on the economy and the well-being and safety of the citizens. On the occasion of his working visit to Vietnam, Phil Quade, chief information security officer of Fortinet, Inc. told Kim Oanh about cyberattacks, cybersecurity and how Fortinet’s solutions can help prevent them.

Phil Quade, chief information security officer at Fortinet arrived to Vietnam for a working visit to share about cyber security

As the 4.0 era is setting in, with a growing momentum in the digitisation of management and manufacturing processes, as well as increasing global connectivity, how would you evaluate the importance of cyber security to prevent cyberattracks?

Cyber threats are becoming more complex with new everyday dangers. From the IoT (Internet of Things) network to the cloud, businesses need an architecture that integrates, synchronises, and automates defence measures across their networks. Through its security fabric architecture, Fortinet provides a broad portfolio of advanced solutions for Vietnamese companies to help them grow their business safely.

These critical infrastructure systems are also increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, with a reported 51 per cent of critical infrastructure enterprises reporting an OT (Operational Technology)/SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition)/ICS (industrial control systems) security breach within the past 12 months.

Targeting and taking out a critical infrastructure system has huge appeal for numerous cybercriminals, especially cyber terrorists or criminal organisations. Motivations include holding systems hostage for a ransom, stock price manipulation (short sell, attack, and reap a “clean” profit), denial of assets or production for strategic or tactical reasons, political awareness or impact or corporate malfeasance (illegal competitive action).

Unfortunately, not only are many of these now-connected systems quite vulnerable to compromise, unlike IT networks, a failure in one of these sectors also has the possibility of causing a catastrophic event affecting both human life and property. The consequences of a successful attack can lead to the disruption and even destruction of physical assets and essential services like water, electricity, and fuel.

Fortinet is among the top five public cyber security companies in the world. Its broad portfolio of solutions spans network, infrastructure, cloud, and IoT security.

Fortinet protects large enterprises, service providers, and government organisations around the world, including Vietnam, by providing customers with unmatched, intelligent protection across the entire extended attack surface. It also has the ability to meet the increasing performance requirements of borderless networks, now and in the future.

At Fortinet, we offer both IT and OT solutions and ensure that they can work together. We have a number of experts in charge of critical infrastructure who have numerous years of experience in protecting OT for critical infrastructure.

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam ranks first in terms of business email compromise (BEC) scams and CEOs, managing directors, directors, and presidents of enterprises are the primary targets. As a global leader in cyber security solutions, what are Fortinet’s specific solutions to deal with this incident?

90 per cent of cyber attacks were conducted via business email compromise scams. Fortinet supplies customers with security framework or security fabric with specific solutions. For example, in order to prevent email scams, Fortinet has an email security solution ready.

Advanced threats require more than passive security systems, especially when protecting critical infrastructure. Fortunately, the behaviour of most OT systems can be pretty easily defined, which means that unusual or aberrant behaviour should be likewise relatively easy to detect and block with a UEBA (user and entity behaviour analytics) system in place.

What is Fortinet’s strategic plan in Vietnam? Who are your potential customers in the future?

In Vietnam, Fortinet supplies comprehensive solutions for customers, including total security, enterprise Wi-Fi, storage, data, and information management. Fortinet’s customers are enterprises operating in telecommunications, finance and banking, energy, technology, and healthcare, among others. Based on our strengths, Fortinet is looking at mobile and internet network providers, state agencies, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. Two of the largest mobile and internet network providers and one of the four largest banks are Fortinet’s customers.